Australian Seagrass Distribution Polygons and Points (2005)

A geospatial dataset showing the distribution of seagrass species in Australian waters. It was compiled by UNEP-WCMC in collaboration with Dr. Frederick T. Short from the University of New Hampshire and used in the creation of the "World Atlas of Seagrasses" (2003). This dataset is a unique data holding about the state of the world's seagrasses, updated from the original atlas data.

Use Cases

• Mapping coastal biodiversity based on the described seagrass species distribution.
• Analyzing changes in marine habitats based on the dataset's update from the 2003 atlas.
• Conducting conservation planning based on the polygon and point feature data for seagrass beds.
• Studying global seagrass ecology using this subset of a worldwide dataset.

Strengths

• Compiled by authoritative institutions UNEP-WCMC and a leading academic researcher.
• Represents an update to data used in the seminal "World Atlas of Seagrasses" (2003).
• Provides both polygon and point feature datasets for a more complete spatial analysis.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Data may reflect temporal bias inherent to its 2005 snapshot and compilation for a 2003 publication.

Provenance

Source

UNEP-WCMC in collaboration with Dr. Frederick T. Short, University of New Hampshire.

Collection Method

Compiled from multiple sources for the "World Atlas of Seagrasses" (2003) and subsequently updated.

Time Range

2005

Freshness

Last updated 2026-06-05 00:57:26.473891; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Australia (subset from a global dataset)